Reception system for replacing transport packets

1. A reception system, comprising: a receiving unit which is configured to receive a transport stream transmitted from a transmission system that produces and transmits the transport stream, the transport stream being produced by multiplexing compression coded contents of a program, and electronic program guide information including program specific information having at least an NIT, a PAT, and a PMT, and service information having at least an EIT, the transport stream comprising an NIT packet having the NIT; a PID designating unit which is configured to designate a PID of a packet other than the NIT packet in the electronic program guide information, as a replace packet; an SIT producing unit which is configured to produce first and second SIT packet from the service information in the received transport stream; and a packet extracting and replacing unit which is configured to replace the NIT packet with the first SIT packet and to replace the replace packet designated by the PID designating unit with the SIT packet.

2. A reception system according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission system produces a dummy packet for replacement, and inserts the dummy packet into the transport stream, and the PID designating unit designates a PID of the dummy packet; and the packet extracting and replacing unit replaces the NIT packet the replace packet and the dummy packet designated by the PID designating unit with the SIT packet.

3. A reception system according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission system produces interval information of the SIT packets, and transmits the interval information of the SIT packets with the electronic program guide information, the PID designating unit designates the PID of the replace packet with reference to the interval information of the SIT packets, and the packet extracting and replacing unit replaces the NIT packet with the first SIT packet and replaces the replace packet designated by the PID designating unit with the second SIT packet.

4. A reception system according to claim 1 , wherein the PID designating unit designates the PID of a packet having contents of an unrecord program as an unrecord packet, the packet extracting and replacing unit includes a PID filter and an SIT packet replacing device, and the PID filter is configured to extract a packet having the designated PID and contents of an unrecord program, and the SIT packet replacing device replaces the NIT packet with the first SIT packet and replaces the replace packet and the unrecord packet designated by the PID designating unit with the second SIT packet.

5. A reception system according to claim 4 , wherein the PID designating unit designates a PID of a packet having contents of an unrecord program or an EIT, and the packet extracting and replacing unit selects the replace packet from packets having the designated PID with reference to given interval information of the SIT packet, and replaces the selected packet with the second SIT packet.

6. A reception system, comprising: a receiving unit which is configured to receive a transport stream transmitted from a transmission system that produces and transmits the transport stream, the transport stream being produced by multiplexing compression coded contents of a program, and electronic program guide information including program specific information having at least an NIT, a PAT, and a PMT, and service information having at least an EIT, the transport stream comprising an NIT packet having the NIT; a PID designating unit which is configured to designate a PID of a packet other than the NIT packet in the electronic program guide information, as a replace packet; a replace PID storing unit which is configured to store the replace PID; an SIT producing unit which is configured to produce first and second SIT packets from the service information in the received transport stream; and a packet extracting and replacing unit which is configured to replace the NIT packet with thee first SIT packet and to replace a replace packet indicated by the replace PID storing unit with second the SIT packet.

7. A reception system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the service information also has an SDT.

8. In a communications system receiving a multiplexed transport stream including first and second programs, program specific information including a network information table (NIT), and service information, a method for recording the first program comprising the steps of: (a) identifying a respective packet identifier (PID) for each of the first program, a packet of the second program, and the NIT; (b) storing the PID of the packet of the second program in a replacement store; (c) storing the PID for the first program and the PID for the NIT; (d) extracting the first program, the packet of the second program, and the NIT in response to step (a); (e) producing a selection information table (SIT) from the service information; (f) replacing the NIT with the SIT using the PID stored in step (c); (g) replacing the packet of the second program with the SIT using the PID for the packet of the second program stored in step (b); and (h) recording the first program including the SITs from steps (f) and (g).

9. In a communications system receiving a multiplexed transport stream including a program, a dummy program, program specific information including a network information table (NIT), and service information, a method for recording the program comprising the steps of: (a) identifying a respective packet identifier (PID) for each of the program, the dummy program, and the NIT; (b) storing the PID of the dummy program in a replacement store; (c) storing the PID for the program and the PID for the NIT; (d) extracting the program, the dummy program, and the NIT in response to step (a); (e) producing a selection information table (SIT) from the service information; (f) replacing the NIT with the SIT using the PID stored in step (c); (g) replacing the dummy program with the SIT using the PID for the dummy program stored in step (b); and (h) recording the program including the SITs from steps (f) and (g).

10. A reception system, comprising: a receiving unit which is configured to receive a transport stream transmitted from a transmission system which multiplexes at least (1) compression coded contents of a program and (2) electronic program guide information containing at least program specific information having at least an NIT, a PAT, and a PMT and service information having at least an EIT, and thereby produces and transmits a transport stream comprising an EIT packet having the EIT; an SIT producing unit which is configured to produce an SIT packet from the service information in the received transport stream; and a packet replacing unit which is configured to replace at least the EIT packet with the SIT packet.

11. A reception system according to claim 10 , wherein the transport stream modified by the packet replacing unit is outputted as a recording-use transport stream to the outside.

12. A reception system according to claim 10 , wherein the packet replacing unit is further configured to replace an NIT packet in the transport stream having the NIT with another SIT packet produced by the SIT producing unit.

13. A digital broadcast system, comprising: a transmission system which multiplexes at least (1) compression coded contents of a program and (2) electronic program guide information containing at least program specific information having at least an NIT, a PAT, and a PMT and service information having at least an EIT, and thereby produces and transmits a transport stream comprising an EIT packet having the EIT; and a reception system comprising: a receiving unit which is configured to receive the transmitted transport stream; an SIT producing unit which is configured to produce an SIT packet from the service information in the received transport stream; and a packet replacement unit which is configured to replace at least the EIT packet with the SIT packet.

14. A reception method, comprising: a receiving step of receiving a transport stream transmitted from a transmission system which multiplexes at least (1) compression coded contents of a program and (2) electronic program guide information containing at least program specific information having at least an NIT, a PAT, and a PMT and service information having at least an EIT, and thereby produces and transmits a transport stream comprising an EIT packet having the EIT; an SIT producing step of producing an SIT packet from the service information in the received transport stream; and a packet replacing step of replacing at least the EIT packet with the SIT packet.

15. A reception system, comprising: a receiving unit which is configured to receive a transport stream transmitted from a transmission system which multiplexes at least (1) compression coded contents of a program and (2) electronic program guide information containing at least program specific information having at least an NIT, a PAT, and a PMT and service information having at least an EIT, and thereby produces and transmits a transport stream comprising an NIT packet having the NIT; a PID designating unit which is configured to selectively designate a PID of a packet of a predetermined type, which is other than the NIT packet in the received transport stream, as a PID of a replace packet; a replace PID storing unit which is configured to store the selectively designated PID of the replace packet; an SIT producing unit which is configured to produce first and second SIT packets from the service information in the received transport stream; and a packet replacing unit which is configured to replace all or part of the replace packet, the PID of which has been stored, with the first SIT packet and to replace all or part of the NIT packet with the second SIT packet.

16. A reception system according to claim 15 , wherein: the transport stream modified by the packet replacing unit is outputted as a recording-use transport stream to the outside; and the packet of the predetermined type in the received transport stream is not included in the recording-use transport stream.

17. A reception system according to claim 16 , wherein all or part of the packet of the predetermined type in the received transport stream is a packet which contains contents of a program not to be recorded, among the compression coded contents of a program.

18. A reception system according to any one of claims 15 to 17 , wherein the replacing and/or the selective designation are carried out on the basis of interval information which is transmitted as an attachment to the electronic program guide information from the transmission system, and which specifies an interval in which the replacing and/or the selective designation is to be carried out.

19. A reception system according to any one of claims 15 to 17 , wherein the replacing and/or the selective designation are carried out on the basis of an interval in which the replacing and/or the selective designation is to be carried out and which is set according to a predetermined criterion.

20. A digital broadcast system, comprising: a transmission system which multiplexes at least (1) compression coded contents of a program and (2) electronic program guide information containing at least program specific information having at least an NIT, a PAT, and a PMT and service information having at least an EIT, and thereby produces and transmits a transport stream comprising an NIT packet having the NIT; and a reception system comprising: a receiving unit which is configured to receive the transmitted transport stream; a PID designating unit which is configured to selectively designate a PID of a packet of a predetermined type, which is other than the NIT packet in the received transport stream, as a PID of a replace packet; a replace PID storing unit which is configured to store the selectively designated PID of the replace packet; an SIT producing unit which is configured to produce first and second SIT packets from the service information in the received transport stream; and a packet replacing unit which is configured to replace all or part of the replace packet, the PID of which has been stored, with the first SIT packet and to replace all or part of the NIT packet with the second SIT packet.

21. A transmission system which multiplexes at least (1) compression coded contents of a program and (2) electronic program guide information containing at least program specific information having at least an NIT, a PAT, and a PMT and service information having at least an EIT, and thereby produces and transmits a transport stream comprising at least an NIT packet having the NIT, wherein: the transmitted transport stream is received; a PID of a packet of a predetermined type which is other than the NIT packet in the received transport stream is selectively designated as a PID of a replace packet; the selectively designated PID of the replace packet is stored; an SIT packet is produced from the service information in the received transport stream; all or part of the replace packet, the PID of which has been stored, is replaced with the SIT packet; transmitted from the transmission system is interval information which is transmitted as an attachment to the electronic program guide information from the transmission system, and which specifies an interval in which the replacing and/or the selective designation is to be carried out; and the replacing and/or the selective designation are carried out on the basis of the interval information.

22. A reception method, comprising: a receiving step of receiving a transport stream transmitted from a transmission system which multiplexes at least (1) compression coded contents of a program and (2) electronic program guide information containing at least program specific information having at least an NIT, a PAT, and a PMT and service information having at least an EIT, and thereby produces and transmits a transport stream comprising at least an NIT packet having the NIT; a PID designating step of selectively designating a PID of a packet of a predetermined type, which is other than the NIT packet in the received transport stream, as a PID of a replace packet; a replace PID storing step of storing the selectively designated PID of the replace packet; an SIT producing step of producing an SIT packet from the service information in the received transport stream; and a packet replacing step of replacing all or part of the replace packet, the PID of which has been stored, with the SIT packet.

23. A reception system, comprising: a receiving unit which is configured to receive a transport stream transmitted from a transmission system which multiplexes at least (1) compression coded contents of a program, (2) program specific information having at least a PAT and a PMT, and (3) service information having at least an EIT; and a replacing unit which is configured to replace a packet having the EIT with a SIT packet generated from the service information in the received transport stream.

24. A reception system, comprising: a receiving unit which is configured to receive a transport stream transmitted from a transmission system which multiplexes at least (1) compression coded contents of a program, (2) program specific information having at least a PAT and a PMT, and (3) service information having at least an EIT; and a replacing unit which is configured to replace a packet having the EIT with a packet having a selection information table generated from the service information in the received transport stream.

25. A reception system according to claims 23 or 24 , further comprising: a designating unit which is configured to designate a PID of a packet having the EIT; and a replacing unit which is configured to replace a packet having the EIT which is designated by the designating unit.

26. A reception system according to claims 23 or 24 , wherein the service information also has an SDT.

27. A reception system according to claims 23 or 24 , wherein the packet having a selection information table relates to a program which is selected by an external instruction.

28. A reception system according to claims 23 or 24 , wherein the replacing unit replaces the packet having the EIT on the basis of an interval which is set according to a predetermined criterion.